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Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?

I recently ordered high end speaker, power amp, and preamp to be installed in couple more weeks. So the next search are interconnect and speaker cable. After challenging the dealer and 3 of my so called audiophile friends, I think the only reason I would buy expensive cable is for its appearance to match with the high end gears but not for sound performance. I personally found out that $5K cable vs $10 cable are no difference, at least not to our ears. Prior to this, I was totally believe that cable makes a difference but not after this and reading few articles online.

Here is how I found out.

After the purchase of my system, I went to another dealer to ask for cable opinion (because the original dealer doesn't carry the brand I want) and once I told him my gears, he suggested me the high end expensive cable ranging from $5 - 10K pair, depending on length. He also suggested the minimum length must be 8-12ft. If longer than 12ft, I should upgrade to even more expensive series. So I challenged him that if he can show me the difference, I would purchase all 7 AQ Redwood cables from him.

It's a blind test and I would connect 3 different cables - 1 is the Audioquest Redwood, 1 is Cardas Audio Clear, and 1 my own generic 14AWG about 7ft. Same gears, same source, same song..... he started saying the first cable sound much better, wide, deep, bla...bla...bla......and second is decently good...bla...bla...bla.. and the last one sounded crappy and bla...bla...bla... BUT THE REALITY, I NEVER CHANGED THE CABLE, its the same 14AWG cable. I didn't disclosed and move on to second test. I told him I connected audioquest redwood but actually 14AWG and he started to praise the sound quality and next one I am connected the 14awg but actually is Redwood and he started to give negative comment. WOW!!!! Just blew me right off.

I did the same test with 3 of my audiophile friends and they all have difference inputs but no one really got it right. Especially the part where I use same generic 14awg cable and they all start to give different feedback!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?
sautan904

Showing 7 responses by ps

ps
769 posts
 
If one were to purchase speaker wires at the cost of many thousands of dollars, surely this would be money well-spent.
How could it not be so?
ps
769 posts
 
Lots of variables, as Randy-11 and others have pointed out.  

How does one quantify "better" give that some speaker wires will sound merely different than others?  For example, you run Monoprice wire and are pleased, but decide to go ahead, for one reason or another, and purchase much more expensive brand "X" wires. You then discover that they sound different, (hopefully better) how do you measure your return on investment?

In other words, if Monoprice wire costs $50 and brand X super-duper wire costs $5000, is brand X worth $4950 more?  Are you happier? Do you enjoy listening to your stereo system that much more? Would you have been ultimately better of if you'd invested the $4950 into T-Bills or some other conservative financial growth vehicle?

Do you even care, given this hobby can be so whacky?
ps
769 posts
 
"If you got the money honey, I got the wire."
ps
769 posts
 
Teo_Audio wrote:
"Part of human psychology. Which is why Jung had it right and Freud was, in the end, an idiot. And Bernays an opportunistic roving butcher. Eating the world, like all his contacts and connections."

Clearly Bernays was a renegade gourmand with meat cleavers in both hands. His assumptions and assertions with regard to the quest for the absolute sound were, in the opinion of 73.8 % of the audiophile community, at best, spurious and self-serving. His sole legacy was, tragically, essentially carnage.

Furthermore, a majority of audiophiles (at least 55.2 %) do indeed agree that Freud was an idiot, but they have an extremely difficult time articulating why. An astonishing 53.8 % of those very audiophiles reference the lyric "more than a feeling" to bolster their world view, as if that somehow remotely validates their subjective viewpoint!

Finally, with regard to Karl Jung, all that anyone can really say, is "may he rest in peace." The poor fellow never really did much care for music anyway, and, to the end, never could get beyond his stubborn and irrational love of 12 awg speaker cables.
ps
769 posts
 
@hifiman5 "It is unfortunately human nature for "the Have-nots to covet what the Haves have"

Let them eat cake, and may they long continue to use their wretched, pathetic zip cord.  Ultimately, those who are the fittest survivors will quickly and decisively deal with those pesky, bothersome, covetous "Have-nots."
ps
769 posts
 
Saw M. Ward a few years ago somewhere in the grand Pacific Northwest. He is a formidable talent.

RE: cables, I’m having great results with Blue Jeans’ Belden 12 AWG from mono tube amps to either Maggies or Sonus Faber monitors. One might say that the gray Belden’s are the anti-bling. :)


ps
769 posts
 
Simple. Those who pay $5000.00 for speaker cables.
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